The overall goal of the MGH research training program in burns and trauma is to train physicians and scientists with the cross-disciplinary skills needed to conduct future independent research in the field. The intent of this NRSA T32 program is to help insure that a diverse and highly-trained workforce is available to assume leadership roles related to the United States Federal government’s biomedical research agenda.

Training Program Design

The MGH burns and trauma research training program consists of a curriculum of study and research experiences necessary to provide high quality research training. The training program is particularly geared towards the postdoctoral training of physicians who may have extensive clinical training but limited research experience.

In addition to the formal courses, specialized conferences, seminars, and tutorials at MGH provide a background in the clinical problems of injury care. The trainees participate in regular seminars, clinical conferences, research seminars, and the Clinical Research Coordinating Committee meetings for information exchange and data presentation. Tutorials in patient problems and treatment deficiencies are provided to insure that all trainees have a continuing exposure to the clinical issues facing injured patients. These tutorials allow the trainees to obtain first-hand information concerning the current problems posed by injury. These tutorials focus the fellows' research on the most important problems facing clinical medicine.

These collaborative and interdisciplinary activities are supplemented by substantially-developed core facilities with the MGH Burn Research Center, which provides very substantial hands-on teaching and training resources for the trainees. On completion of the training program, the fellows are expected not only to have the theoretical background but also the technical research skills necessary to conduct independent research and teach educational programs. The success of the current program may be measured by the fact that the past trainees of our program are presently conducting research and teaching programs related to their training in our program.

Program Direction

The overall direction, management and administration of the research training program in burns and trauma is led by Ronald G. Tompkins, M.D., Sc.D. (Principal Investigator) and Martin L. Yarmush, M.D., Ph.D. (Program Director).

Dr. Tompkins is the John Francis Burke Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Chief of the Burn Service at MGH, and Chief of Staff at SHC in Boston. As the principal investigator of the MGH Burn Research Center Grant and the Large-Scale Collaborative Research Award “Inflammation and the Host Response to Injury”, Dr. Tompkins has successfully received competitive outside funding to support his ongoing research interests, which include tissue engineering and artificial organ development (artificial liver and skin), metabolism, and physiological transport in injury (atherosclerosis, gastrointestinal permeability, infections, and tumors).

Dr. Yarmush is the Helen Andrus Benedict Professor of Surgery and Bioengineering at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Center for Engineering in Medicine at MGH. Dr. Yarmush's credentials in science, engineering, and medicine serve as an excellent foundation as the Program Director.